How to Select an ESL Instructor

When learning English as a second or other language, you can choose to do by hiring an ESL instructor. Maybe you have some language learning resources online that you are using to improve your English fluency. Learning on your own can be challenging at times. If that’s the case, you might want to consider hiring an ESL instructor. Read more to find out why and how you can go about doing it. 

Advantages of an ESL Instructor

The fastest way to become fluent in any language is by putting it into practice. But how will you put your learned English skills into practice if you have no one to apply them with? Especially during this time of COVID-19, it might be hard to meet with people. A private ESL instructor can meet with you in-person or online. So you still get the chance to talk to someone in English and, on top of that, receive helpful feedback about how you can improve.

Studying on your own requires a lot of self-discipline. There are days when you may not feel like opening your grammar book or cramming vocabulary into your head. If you know that discipline is not your greatest strength, an ESL instructor is right for you. A private instructor can give you deadlines, and you can discuss goals that you want to achieve. The private ESL instructor will make sure you stay on track. And if you need a pep talk on those days when you feel unmotivated, your instructor is there to help you through and remind you of the progress you have already made. 

Moreover, you are not the only one vested in making sure you make progress. By hiring a private ESL instructor, you have someone else to share the responsibility of helping you grow in your skills. This is a relief because you’ll have someone to share your insecurities and doubts, as well as your victories and accomplishments. 

It’s a big step to start speaking English to strangers just for practice. But private ESL instructors are people you can trust because they want the best for you. They will not make fun of you when you make a mistake but point it out to you and give alternatives ways to effectively communicate in English. 

Selecting a Private ESL Instructor

Now, when it comes to selecting your private instructor, the amount of choices can be daunting. Let’s have a look at what to keep in mind to make it easier for you to pick the instructor who suits your needs: 

Certification

The qualifications an ESL instructor needs to teach English varies across countries and states. For online instructors, certifications are not bound by rules because instruction crosses country borders. Nevertheless, you can still ask about the specific certifications of your ESL instructor to get an idea about their academic background. Find out if they have a teaching degree or a TESL/TESOL/TEFL certification. TESL stands for teaching English as a second language; TESOL means teaching English to speakers of other languages; and TEFL stands for teaching English as a foreign language. In truth, these certifications may not vary so much; it’s mainly the acronyms that have different meanings. But it all comes down to the ability of your private instructor to teach English to someone whose native language is not English. If your instructor does not have any of these certifications but has been teaching for years, that experience is just as valuable as someone with a certificate but no degree. 

Chemistry

Chemistry? This post is about choosing a private English instructor, isn’t it? Yes, in this case, we don’t mean the subject chemistry. We’re talking about the chemistry that happens between you and your ESL instructor. Of course, any instructor should be able to teach you the English language. But wouldn’t it be nicer if you actually had a great connection with your instructor that surpassed learning English? Remember your favorite teacher in high school? Even though the subject wasn’t your favorite, the fact that this teacher knew how to engage the class and was funny made you look forward to going to class each day. Right? The same goes for your private ESL instructor.

When choosing your instructor, ask if you can have a trial session to see how it goes. During this session, determine for yourself if you and your instructor have a “spark.” You could even plan multiple sessions with various instructors so that you can compare your experience to see which one made you feel most comfortable. 

Fun

Something that is related to the chemistry between you and the instructor is the aspect of fun during your sessions. Learning a new language should be an exciting experience because a new world opens up to you with plenty of opportunities. Your ESL instructor should therefore be an advocate of this new, exciting experience by making the lessons interesting and fun to attend. When the lessons tend to be “dry” or static, chances are high that you’ll soon lose interest in learning English. Find out what type of assignments your instructor will give you. Do they relate to current affairs in the world or even in the place where you live? Are the activities interactive? This leads us to the next point.

Talk Time

As mentioned before, for you to become a fluent English speaker, you need to speak it as much as possible. Pay attention to how much time your instructor allows you to speak in English during your sessions. Is it mainly the instructor who is speaking while teaching, or is there a sufficient amount of time for you to practice? If you meet with your instructor in person, you could even go outside together and practice speaking during daily activities such as going to the grocery store or ordering food at a restaurant. This will not only help you learn the natural flow of the language but also to familiarize yourself with the culture. A language shapes the way a person views the world. For you to gain a better understanding of it, you actually need to be in the outside world. A good private ESL instructor will expose you to this new culture and encourage you to interact with other English speakers. After these encounters, your instructor can give you advice on how you did. This feedback is helpful for you to make your daily interactions smoother. 

Knowledge of Your Culture

As your ESL instructor helps you acquaint yourself with English and American culture, find out how much your teacher actually knows about your culture. This can make mutually understanding each other easier. Maybe the private instructor has experience teaching students from your country or who speak your language. There is actually a difference between teaching students whose native language is, let’s say, French compared to Spanish. Some common errors or pronunciation difficulties can be found when a French speaker is learning English that are different from common errors made by a Spanish speaker learning English. This doesn’t mean that your instructor should be able to speak your native language, but it certainly helps if they know which challenges you might encounter because they have experience working with other learners who speak that same language.

Also, a certain amount of knowledge about your cultural background can be helpful when teaching you new things about the US. It is hard to notice aspects of your own culture that might seem odd to outsiders if you have never experienced another culture or perspective on life. With some experience in this, your private ESL instructor can point out things to you that you might want to pay attention to when immersing in the new society. 

Goals

Make sure you discuss goals you would like to achieve with your ESL instructor. These can be short-term or long-term goals. And find out how your instructor plans to help you achieve those goals. Let’s say, in the near future you want to improve your English writing skills. In the long run, you’d like to write academic research papers for publication in research journals. What does your instructor suggest in terms of writing assignments? Will you have to write sample papers during your sessions or for homework that will be reviewed later? It is helpful for you to be clear about why you need a private instructor.

Instead of saying that you just want to learn English, specify the purpose of hiring an ESL instructor. This will make it easier for you and your instructor to work together and track your progress. You could even make a calendar with your instructor and set deadlines. For example, you want to be ready for your first job interview within six weeks after you start working with your ESL instructor. These specific goals will make it easier for you both to celebrate successes, grow from disappointments, and remain motivated to keep improving. 

Takeaway

Hiring a private ESL instructor to help you master the English language is a good idea when you need someone to practice English with in order to improve your language skills. Especially when you lack discipline to study, an instructor can be of great help. Having an ESL instructor makes it a shared responsibility between the two of you to help you continue to progress in learning English. Some things that you can keep in mind when selecting a private instructor include certification, the chemistry between you and the instructor, and what the sessions will look like. Fun is an important aspect to make the learning experience easier by going out together and exposing you to the outside world to practice your English. Make sure you state your specific language goals that you want to achieve with your instructor. Remember, celebrate your accomplishments together!